Letters to the Editor 3/8/12

Gun gripe, Limbaugh, and state cuts

It is now confirmed our legislators are on meth! The actions of the Illinois House Executive Committee by approving the proposal for handgun registry by Chicago’s mayor seems to point in that direction. This is not yet law, but hopefully the main body will put this proposal into the round file where it belongs.

The idea that the Executive Committee even undertook this measure smacks of a drug-induced decision. This bill would effectively create a state full of outlaws, as the current “legal” firearm owners would not be able to afford the price of this legislation. The amount of money gained from this will do nothing to reduce crime and illegal firearm purchases. There is no empirical evidence that Chicago’s gun registry has caused any reduction in crime.

Looking at the big picture, legal gun sales will drop, losing any taxes associated with them. The statement by the mayor’s first deputy denying that this is not about restricting the rights of law-abiding gun owners is ridiculous, because only the law-abiding gun owners are affected.

This is another look at Chicago’s need to get a handle on reality and find another way to do the job they have failed at for so long. If our legislators go along with this madness, then we law-abiding gun owners will all become outlaws. This should fall in line with Illinois’ reputation as the third most corrupt state in the country.

Michael AbramsSpringfield

RUNNING FROM RUSH

Recently, we have been treated to an inside look at conservative ideals and Republican Party priorities. The chief conservative spokesperson, Rush Limbaugh, angrily spewed obscene, hateful comments over the taxpayer-owned airways last week. Limbaugh personally attacked a law school student, calling her a slut.

He did this mean-spirited rant while completely lying about the young woman’s testimony before the U.S. Congress. Some of his ditto head listeners like to use false or made up facts to justify their hate, but anyone who can go along with Rush on this tirade is pathetic.

WTAX, right here in Springfield, airs this hate speech every day. Management at WTAX says they have no control over what plays in their station. This too is a pathetic excuse. WTAX should cancel Rush Limbaugh’s hate-filled show, and any local sponsors should be held accountable as well. Any business that advertises on WTAX during the Rush show is telling customers that they agree with his obscene hate speech.

Chris PetersonSpringfield

LAWSUITE TIMING QUESTIONED

So, this “hidden” and so-called corrupt form of decision making has taken place for how long, Bruce, before you decided it was about time it changed? [See “Suing the city,” March 1, 2012, by Bruce Rushton.]

Or was it the issues taking the “limelight” that got you enthralled in the dastardly actions taken by this committee? It appears that this committee has been in existence for many, many years and has been making the necessary decisions for ALL city government workers’ health care needs and insurance coverage.

I’m just curious if you would have ever even looked “over there” if the same sex partner dilemma hadn’t forced you and other “reporters” to jump on the bandwagon of equality and enter the “I’m gonna sue you” three ring circus.Tim CallSpringfield

[Editor's note: After being notified that his online comment would be included in the paper as a Letter to the Editor, Mr. Call requested that this response be included with his letter:

"I did not intend for my online comment to be published in your paper. However, if you feel it is appropriate and legal to do so.......please be sure to include my notification to you in this email as my disapproval of your suggested action."

His response came after the paper was printed, so it appears only online.]

CAUTIONING AGAINST CUTS

Gov. Quinn and company want to save the state some money by cutting vital medical services, such as dental coverage and therapy, out of Medicaid. Well, here’s an interesting statistic the governor might keep in mind: according to the latest edition of Time Magazine, between the years of 2006 to 2009, there has been a 16 percent increase in Medicaid patients who have gone to the ER for routine dental problems because of the shortage of dentists that actually accept Medicaid.

It’s true that trips to the dentist are expensive – but not as expensive as a trip to the ER – which Medicaid still covers. Perhaps this is something Pat Quinn and other leaders should take into account before the Medicaid budget has been haphazardly slashed.

Comments

Old Comments

I did not write a "letter to the editor". My "on-line" comment was a response to Bruce Rushton and his article regarding his lawsuit agaisnt the city and was never intended to be in print as a letter to the editor. I just wanted to make that clear.

Mr. Yeagle sent me an email regarding my on-line comments. In his email to me, Mr. Yeagle suggests that no IT staff ever knew about this committee or it's existance before the civil union benefits came up. Really Mr. Yeagle ? I wonder why that is.

Who did you think makes the decisions regarding the city employees health care plans ? Wouldn't you ever think to question or investigate who makes these big decisions for city employees. Decisions that bring a large part of the city budget into play. Did you folks at IT think some individual behind the curtain in the land of OZ makes these decisions regularly and arbitrarily?

Looking a pond with a smooth, clear surface is facinating isn't it. I guess until a stone creates a ripple do you ever think of wondering what's under the surface.

You are correct about Rush as a pig headed maniac and he is loosing many of his sponsoring advertisers as a result of his latest "hate-speech" nonsense. Although he sometimes delivers a valid messege, his delivery is too over the top. Shooting the messenger instead of addressing the messege is typical of human behavior, especially when you have no good response to the messege itself.

You are wrong however in your assumption that he IS the chief conservative spokesperson and represents conservative ideals and Republican Party priorities. He simply has the platform to rant just like pig headed maniacs like Rachel Maddow and many other liberal pundits on the airwaves.

Your rants belittle all Republicans and conservatives in general which shows your ignorance and contempt for those who do not think and act in lockstep with you.

Yeah Rush is a blowhard and far off the charts of political correctness but to attempt to lay all conservatives at his feet or doorstep is incorrect and blatantly dumb on your part.

Chris Peterson - where was your outrage when Bill Maher called Sarah Palin the c-word? And, where was your outrage when Maher refused to apologize? And where is your outrage now that the 0bama campaign is refusing to return Maher's $1-million contribution? How about when Ed Schultz of MSNBC called Laura Ingraham a "slut"? Did that get your dander up? Did you fire off a letter to the IT calling for Comcast to drop MSNBC?

And when Matt Taibbi of Rolling Stone opined that he'd love to see Michelle Malkin with a set of testicles in her mouth, did you rush to the nearest news stand and demand that they pull all of their Rolling Stone issues?'

I could give more examples of vile, hateful, sexist comments made by liberal commentators about conservative women, but I think you get the point.

Rush was wrong and he apologized at least twice. Maher, Taibbi, & Schultz were just as wrong and have refused to apologize or retract any of their statements. Moreover, the Democrat politicians they enable have never said anything against them.

Face it, Chris. Your outrage is completely manufactured. When you have as much criticism for the hatred on the left as you seem to have for offensive comments on the right, then I might begin to believe you.